The Marriage of Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput

It’s been a long wait for fans of Mr Kapoor, but the 34-year-old actor is finally hitched to his Delhi based girlfriend Mira Rajput. The couple were married in a toned down, yet still perfectly glamorous gurudwara at the home of wealthy industrialist Shivinder Singh in Rajkori, Delhi, before heading off to the beautifully luxurious Oberoi Hotel in Gurgaon.

Despite its obvious grandeur and solemnity of the occasion, the couple, along with their guests, were pretty relaxed, this certainly wasn’t a stuffy affair, with everyone posting playful photos to social media. Even the couple took many moments to post intimate and loving shots of each other on the big day.

Shahid’s father, the legendary Bollywood Pankaj Kapur who enthused with joy and love as he spoke to the media, saying – “We are very happy. Our daughter-in-law is very beautiful. It is a celebration time for our family.” There many other sweet messages coming thick and fast throughout the day.

The wedding itself was attended by 40 guests, including family and close friends. For the exchange of vows, Mira Rajput sported a pink and green churridar suit, with an elegantly embellished dupatta over her head. Shahid wore a white kurta pyjama with an exuberant orange turban.

As the reception came, what remained of the formalities were dispensed with, then it was time for everyone to well and truly let their hair down. From the couples stunning entrance in regal and sumptuous attire, the couple changed again, Mira was dressed in a yellow Anita Dongre lehenga, with matching gold jewellery, with playfully draped string of yellow flowers around her neck and in her hair, giving a wonderfully carefree look. Shahid had changed into a red kurta, bandhgala and black churridar.

As the evening progressed, Shahid danced to his hit numbers ‘Dhan Tenan’, ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’, ‘Saj Dhaj Ke Tashan’ along with his new bride, family and friends. All in all, it was the perfect day, with a good variety of stunning designs being donned by the pair, a perfect ceremony and even more perfect reception.

Photos courtesy of Indian Express, Koimoi.com and Instagram

The Perfect Outfits for Sisters

So here comes the sister of the bride. If you are bride or groom’s sister then you have a pivotal role to play in the big fat Indian wedding. There is a lot of focus on bridal styling and outfits so in today’s post I want to share some outfit and styling ideas for the bridesmaid.

Since bridesmaids have a lot of running around to do, it is better to opt for something light and trendy. You don’t have to go overboard with your styling – there is no point in stealing limelight from the bride plus you do not want to look like the bride. Personally I think bridesmaids should opt for something that looks elegant and trendy. Here are some styling ideas that you can try. I have taken inspiration from the catwalk and India’s top designers.

Fun and Feminine

Trust me people who have most fun in weddings are the bridesmaids. Indian weddings are fun and if your sister or brother is getting married then it makes the occasion even more special. Anushree Reddy is known for her pastel flower print lehenga and her latest collection is nothing but fun and feminine. Taking inspiration from the rich heritage of Hyderabad, The Royal Courtyard collections boasts of delicate embroideries, lace and floral prints. It is a go-to collection for any bridesmaid.

My other favourite collection is Anita Dongree’s Summer Bride 2015. The gotta patti work in soft pastel colours is drool worthy. Though it is a bridal collection, there are some great non-bridal pieces as well.

Sari with a Twist

Sari is such an elegant outfit that you can never go wrong with it. If you want to wear a sari as your bridesmaid outfit then you can give it a bit of a twist and make it trendy and modern. Here are some sari inspirations.

Gaurav Gupta is know for his sari gowns and twisted drapes. In this electric blue piece here gives a new dimension to the outfit.

I am a big fan of Anamika Khanna designs. The use of intricate lace adds a vintage charm to her outfits. This white sari with a flowy cape style blouse will look very elegant on a bridesmaid.

Crop Tops

Embellished crop tops teamed up with plain or light work lehenga is a wonderful option for a bridesmaid. With crop top lehenga you can get away by not wearing a dupatta. Crops tops can look very flattering on most most body shapes. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing a choli then crop tops are ideal.

Something Different

If you do not want to go down the typical sari, lehenga or suit route then why not experiment with something different. Here are some outfit inspirations that you can experiment with.

Dhoti pant with a fitted jacket is a very unique combination and very different from your regular traditional outfits.

Long Jacket teamed up with wide leg trousers is also a great alternative. Do try it if you do not want to go down the fun and feminine look.

For more fashion inspiration have a look at some of the famous Bollywood sisters.

Hope you got some ideas on how to style your bridesmaid outfit. Take your time to choose something that inspires you. Try on different outfits, may be take pictures and see which one looks good on you. Finally choose a dress that you like and feel good in.

By Mandavi Kaushik

Mandavi is a fashion stylist and blogger based in London, she has a passion for design and knows good style when she sees it. You read more from Mandavi over at her blog The Red Notebook Blog.

Twitter: @MandaviKaushik

Facebook: The Red Notebook

Instagram: Mandavi

Image sources – Lakme fashion week , Designer’s social media

The Wedding of Sanjay Hinduja and Anu Mahtani

Described as “one of the world’s most eligible bachelors” business tycoon Sanjay Hinduja married his designer girlfriend Anu Mahtani in epic style, with a wedding that cost an estimated £15,000,000. Hinduja is the son of  Gopichand and the nephew of Srichand, two of the richest men in Britain.

The wedding took place on February 6 at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, obviously it was a vertable who’s who of Bollywood. Guests included Preity Zinta and Sophie Choudry, Rashmi Nigam, actor Sanjay Kapoor’s wife Maheep, designer Manish Malhotra and singer Nicole Scherzinger amongst others. J-Lo wowed the guests with a typically raunchy performance.

Nicole Scherzinger produced some outstanding shots on Instagram.

And J-Lo took her first ever India “selfie”

The 800-person party then moved, on February 10, to the atmospheric lakeside Rajasthan town of Udaipur – setting for the Bond film Octopussy. Manish Malhotra designed a beautiful array of lehengas and sarees for the bride, which were stunning.

Manish, Suneet Varma and Tarun Tahiliani, amongst others, took Twitter and Instagram with gusto during festivities. Here’s some of our favourites.

Photos courtesy of Manish Malhotra, Rachana Rajaraman, Bollywood Mantra and NDTV

The Wedding of Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu

The youngest daughter of Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan, and younger sister of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan exchanged wedding vows with Kunal Khemu on January 25, 2015, in an intimate ceremony. Following the beautifully elegant wedding, a reception was organised, which was attended by family and close friends from the industry. Soha and Kunal looked the perfect couple. Soha wore a pink and gold coloured Lehenga designed by Sanjay Garg while Kunal looked ever the handsome dandy.

Praatika Mehra, writing in Vogue India, gave a fabulous rundown of who wore what, as she revealed – “The Kapoor sisters wore their favourite designer’s creations. Kareena Kapoor Khan opted for a mint green Manish Malhotra lehenga; her elder sister Karisma looked sombre in a white, gold threadwork embellished kurta-jacket. The other sister-duo of Bollywood – Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Arora wore a Preeti S Kapoor lehenga and pink Shantanu & Nikhil number respectively.

The royal reception was attended by the Khans’ and Khemus’ closest friends from the industry. From cricketer Yuvraj Singh to the biggest Bollywood names – Karan Johar, Arpita Khan Sharma, Neha Dupia and Konkana Sen – the wedding became the prime focus of their well-wishers’ Instagram feed.”

It was a sumptuous wedding, and we know that they will have a long and happy married life. Xx

Photos courtesy of cine josh, Vogue India, Bollywood Mantra and Indian Express

Bollywood Extravaganza: The Marriage of Riddhi Malhotra and Tejas Talwalkar

Top: The Bride and Groom Bottom: The Bride and Groom with uncle Manish and brother Punit.

It was a fantastically fashionable wedding for the niece of famed designer (and Bollywood favourite) Manish Malhotra. Riddhi Malhotra tied-the-knot with her fiance Tejas Talwalker, in Mumbai. Attracting a wealth of Bollywood’s great and good, like moths to a flame.

Top: Priyanka Chopra Middle: Madhuri Dixit with her husband Sriram Nene Bottom: Sridevi and Boney Kapoor

Obviously the guests were, on the most part, decked out in the finest designs Riddhi’s talented uncle had to offer. It was much like one of Malhotra’s fashion shows.

Top: Rekha Middle: Karisma Kapoor Bottom: Vidya Balan with her husband Sidharth Roy Kapur

The star studded wedding began with the sangeet, where we saw a veritable who’s-who of the industry show up in support of Manish. The guest list included – Karisma and Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra, Karan Johar with mum Hiroo, Malaika and Amrita Arora, Kajol, Gauri Khan, Farah Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Sanjay Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra and more.

Top: Neha Dhupia Middle: Akshay Kumar with wife Twinkle Bottom: Raveena Tandon

The Bollywood divas were the ultimate stars of the show, not however outshining the loved-up bride and groom. The beauty of it, was that everyone invited really did their best in the fashion stakes. It was of course a series of events, the sangeet, wedding ceremony, reception, that was dominated by the mighty Malhotra, but we saw some other designers on show including Manish Arora and Sanjay Garg.

Top: Urmila Matondkar with Karisma Kapoor Middle: Urmila Matondkar Bottom: Esha Gupta

We at Think Shaadi are hoping to see a lot more fashion filled wedding events in 2015! Xx

Photos courtesy of Indian Express and Santosh Nagwekar of NDTV

Top 10 Celebrity Weddings of 2014

Love was definitely in the air this year, with celebrity weddings taking place across the globe. We saw some well known bachelors get hitched, and couples who we thought would never tie-the-knot. Some were paparazzi extravaganzas, others private affairs.

So, let’s take a look at the top celebrity weddings of 2014.

1. George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin

Without a question, the wedding of George and Amal was the most anticipated of 2014, with the famous bachelor finally finding his princess.

2. Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma

This was a truly royal affair, with Arpita Khan, of the famous Khan dynasty, marrying in an idyllic palace and attracting some of India’s great and good, from Bollywood legends to politicians.

3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

This Hollywood power couple took to the French countryside to cement their love, surrounded by their children, close friends and family. It was definitely the least formal celebrity wedding of the year.

4. Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha

Traditional yet stylish was the theme for Ms Mirza and Mr Sangha’s wedding, which got a great deal of attention on social media.

5. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka

Our favourite funny man Neil Patrick Harris tying the knot with his long-term boyfriend David Burtka was an especially sweet thing. Sadly photos of the ceremony were limited.

6.  John Abraham and Priya Runchal

Well, the wedding of John and Priya caught us by surprise, with John announcing it on Twitter. We’ve always thought them a fun and easy going couple, so were sought of expecting an off the cuff wedding.

7. Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra

Another out-of-the-blue wedding, Rani and Aditya have always been a low-key couple and their wedding, which took place in Italy, was far from the media’s intrusive glare.

8. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

It was a very public engagement, so of course a very public wedding was bound to be on the cards for this high-profile couple.

9. Ahana Deol and Vaibhav Vohra

Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s younger daughter Ahana Deol wed Delhi-based businessman Vaibhav Vora in a grand ceremony. This was a wedding all about good friends and family.

10. Gabrielle Union and NBA player Dwyane Wade

The American actress and NBA player stunned the press during their wedding ceremony, by having a record breaking 5 costume changes.

Let’s hope 2015 will be another year of celebrity weddings! Xx

Photos courtesy of their respective owners

Arpita and Aayush’ Star Studded Reception

A resplendent Aayush and Arpita pose for press photos

Yes, it may be overused to say, but the wedding of Arpita Khan and Ayush Sharma was a fairytale, in a palatial setting with almost all of Bollywood attending. The newlywed’s reception was no different, with the luxurious event being held on Friday at the Taj Lands End Hotel, Bandra.

The ever helpful brother assisting Arpita down stairs

The wedding cavalcade moved from Hyderabad to the trendy metropolis of Mumbai, and the guest list, with Mumbai being the Hindi film industry’s homeland, was literally a who’s who of talent.

Above: Aayush and Arpita with a selection of friends and family Below: The Khan Family

So, just who attended this lavish shindig to end all lavish shindigs? Let’s start with the Khan family. Salman khan proved the most vocal, on social media, giving us up to the minute info on all the happenings. Taking us through the wedding to the reception.

Salman’s intimate shots on Twitter and Instagram proved a massive hit with the public.

The celebrities were decked out in suitably gorgeous attire, Ameesha Patel attended wearing a lavish pink ensemble by Manish Malhotra, and jewels by Amol Jewellers, others donning a bit of Manish Malhotra were Patralekhaa, Sonakshi Sinha, who looked equally stunning. Gaurav Gupta proved another favourite for female guests, such as Divya Kumar Khosla, and Anita Dongre being favoured by Karisma Kapoor and Sangeeta Bijlani.

1. Rajkumar Rao with wife Patralekhaa 2. Sonakshi Sinha 3. Karishma Kapoor 4. Sangeeta Bijlani

Other guests included legendry actor and director Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, Asha Parekh, Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia D’Souza, Govinda, Vinod Khanna, Shraddha Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Lara Dutta and her husband Mahesh Bhupathi, and Jacqueline Fernandez, among others.

1. Sooraj Pancholi and Kunal Khemu 2. Himesh Reshammiya along with a friend 3. Malaika Arora Khan and sister Amrita Arora 4. Farhan Akhtar and sister Zoya 5. Baba Siddique along with son Zeeshan

If you thought the wedding at Falaknuma Palace was extravagant then the reception was the cherry on the cake.

1. Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan 2. Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, Imran Khan and Avantika 3. Actors Hrithik Roshan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sidharth Malhotra

Photos courtesy of Pink Villa, NDTV, Express, Instagram and Twitter

The Wedding of Arpita Khan and Ayush Sharma

Above: Daisy Shah poses with newlyweds Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma Below: Bride Arpita Khan’s brothers Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail perform the rituals. Wedding was held according to Punjabi rituals.

So, the most anticipated Bollywood family wedding of the year has just taken place, and with the ceremony, held at the prestigious Falaknuma Palace, being a super private affair, we at Think Shaadi thought we’d treat you to some info, that we’ve sourced from around the web.

Above: The newlyweds towards the end of their wedding day Below: The grand surroundings of Falaknuma Palace, where the couple and guests ate a beautifully prepared meal of Deccan cuisine.

Let’s get started with some background details about the couple. Arpita Khan is the adopted daughter of Bollywood legends Salim Khan and Helen Richardson, Arpita is currently working with a leading architectural and interior design firm, with plans to make a move into the film industry, like her father and big brother Salman. Her husband Aayush Sharma hails form Delhi, and although previously a businessman he nurtures a dream of making a career in Bollywood. The couple are certainly well suited, dating for some time and with the added bonus of the two families taking an immediate liking to each other.

Above: Arpita with various friends and family during her Mehendi Below: A handsome Aayush during the Haldi ceremony.

The festivities began on Sunday, with Arpita’s pre-wedding Mehendi at the couples gorgeous galaxy apartment, it was an intimate affair, but it gave us a taste of what was to come. Despite it being intimate, it was most certainly a classy affair, as expected.

Above: Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Rao with family Below: Karan, Kabir and Salman looking dashing.

Once the big day arrived, all eyes were on Falaknuma Palace, which was luxuriously decorated. Now, although it was indeed a super secretive ceremony, thank God Twitter and Instagram exist, as we got to see special snatches of the happy couples day, along with some excellent shots of just who wore what.

Above: Arpita’s sisters-in-law Malaika Arora Khan and Seema Khan and Malaika’s sister Amrita Arora, all dressed in outfits designed by Seema Below: Salman Khan along with his ex girlfriend Katrina Kaif, good friend Aamir Khan danced to her hit number Chikni Chameli at sister Arpita Khan’s wedding.

Arpita looked truly radiant in a beautiful red lehenega, by Abu and Sandeep, accessorised with regal kundan jewellery, her make was done by the genius Daniel Bauer. Brothers Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail, who had the honour of performing the rituals, were dressed in highly masculine, traditional saafas.

 1. Arpita the blushing bride 2. Sister Alvira with family and friends

Now, as for the guest list, well that was a magnificent cavalcade of Bollywood’s finest actors, actresses and director, including director Karan Johar, actresses Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif, Kiran Rao, and director Kabir Khan with wife Mini Mathur.

1. Arpita with the magnificent make-up artist Daniel Bauer 2. Arpita with model and actress Mini Mathur

More on the fashion side, we got to see Malaika Arora Khan look absolutely stunning in a Seema Khan green lehenga. Arpita Khan Sharma looked gorgeous in a white lehenga and Priyanka Chopra looked every inch a princess in a royal blue sari.

1. Salman with the newlyweds 2. The outstandingly decorated wedding cake, which weighed in at 150kgs

All in all this was a star-studded extravaganza, bursting with luxury and of course love. We wish he couple a life of health and happiness. Xx

Photos via Instagram and Twitter

Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma’s Upcoming Wedding

It’s been billed as one of the biggest and most note worthy events of the Bollywood calender. Yes, the wedding of Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma is almost upon us. Aayush has been the long term boyfriend of Arpita, the adopted daughter of Salim Khan, and the now the couple are finally getting hitched.

As suspected, it will be a beautifully stylish affair, with the ceremony being held at the prestigious Falaknuma Palace, it was revealed that Arpita had always wanted to tie-the-knot in a palace. The guest list, according to FirstPost.com is truly start studded, along with Salman, Salim, Helen and the rest of the Khan clan, political figures such as Sonia Ghandi, Narendra Modi and Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan will be coming along too.

The wedding itself will be closed off from the press and prying eyes, even now, very little of the details are being shared. Arpita being from one of India’s most beloved families and therefore the most observed, it’s only right that the couples privacy be given the strictest attention.

Nothing is known about what Arpita will be wearing on the big day, but we’re sure that it will be something superb. We can tell a you little about what’s going on at Falaknuma Palace. The regal venue has been hired by big brother Salman for two days, and has been decorated from top to bottom. The wedding dinner menu is rumoured to be full of exquisite Deccan dishes, including Hyderabadi Biryani, Haleem and Pathar Ka Gosht.

Arpita had her pre-wedding Mehendi yesterday, which was held at her luxurious galaxy apartment. Again, it was absolute star-studded extravaganza, with brother Sohail Khan, sister Alvira Khan and husband Atul Agnihotri, and Salman’s ex-girlfriend Sangeeta Bijlani, as well as Himesh Reshammiya, Malaika Arora Khan and sister Amrita Arora attending.

We at Think Shaadi wish the happy couple all the very best, and we’re hoping to get at least a few glimpses of Arpita’s dress.

Photos courtesy of The Deccan Chronicle, IBN Live and The Times of India

Community Interview: Bruce Russell

With his ceaseless enthusiasm for creating perfect weddings, Bruce Russell has reached a place where many aspire to be, but few seldom get there, and that is at the epicentre of the wedding planning industry. For 18 years he has steadily garnered a reputation for giving his clients artistic, unique and creatively buoyant events, which are executed with fine and detailed precision.

He’s risen from a veritable unknown to work with some major clients, reaching many milestones, including tenures with The Plaza, New York and The Savoy, London. Bruce is also courted by some of the world’s most desired vendors in the industry. He truly is the man with Midas touch.

Think Shaadi had the great opportunity to chat with Bruce, who happily discussed his inspirations, career highlights and that defining moment when he became The Savoy’s resident wedding expert.

What inspired you to become a wedding planner?
Having worked in the hospitality industry for over 16 years in some of the most iconic hotels in the world, I wanted to do something for myself. I’ve always had a passion for entertaining, and have a sharp eye for detail. Wedding planning is all about detail, but it’s also so personal – the most important day of someone’s life, where you are involved in every aspect – from fashion, design, food, logistics, planning and detail. Each one is so different from the other.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Everywhere! First is from the bride & groom and the vision that they have for their special day. My role is ultimately to bring this vision to life, while keeping is unique, original, and most of all personal. Otherwise I love interior design, architecture, food, decor…you name it. I can be walking down the street and see something which will inspire something completely irrelevant, but be perfect for a wedding. I collect all these ideas and just wait for the perfect client – it can be a great idea, but it might not work for every wedding.

What’s the most extravagant wedding you have ever planned?

I planned a wedding for a lovely Russian couple last summer, which we put together in just over 6 weeks. We worked with over 45 different suppliers and no detail was overlooked. We had three bands flown in from Ukraine, Moscow and Israel, as well as a DJ from the south of France who was in the UK for 3 hours for the late party. Every inch of the venue was covered in white flowers – from the outdoor canopy to the personalised message stamped on orchid petals on each place setting. The wines were brought in from the family’s private cellar in Brussels, to compliment the carefully selected 7 course menu. We did have the bride’s niece perform a special song for the bride & groom – you can’t forget the personal details, such as the bespoke candles in monogrammed boxes which we gave away as favours. It was perfect!

How did you feel about being appointed the Savoy’s resident wedding planner?

Having worked for the iconic hotel in the past, it was a natural fit, and a partnership that I am extremely proud to have achieved. The Savoy has always been a leader in the hospitality industry, and clearly realised that there was something missing when it came to looking after potential wedding couples. We worked together over 18 months to put the prefect team together who look after every single personal detail of each special day – that’s what ‘Savoy Weddings By Bruce Russell’ is all about.

Have you ever planned an Asian wedding?
I have had the privilege of planning a few Asian weddings (on a smaller scale) and Asian Engagements, which are as important as the wedding itself.

What elements of Asian weddings appeal to you?

Each aspect of an Asian wedding is steeped in culture and tradition, which can often be missing from weddings generally these days. What I love to see though, is younger couples embracing elements of tradition, and their own personal vision in order to make it very unique.

What essential piece of advice would you give to someone planning a wedding?

Keep it personal – it’s what I tell all of my couples. That’s what people will remember, and it’s what will make your wedding exactly that – your special day.

What’s next for you?

There are a few projects in the works at the moment, but the first to launch this summer will be a series of Bridal Tours & Bridal Retreats, which will give brides who may not intend to hire a wedding planner, access to me for a day or weekend. This will include consultation time, access to top suppliers, and provide each bride with a very personalised experience to help her plan her wedding.

We wish Bruce the best of luck with his future projects, of course, not that he needs it.